The Italian Oil Consortium said Iran was the second biggest oil producer in Opec in the first quarter of 2000, reported the Tehran Times on August 3. According to the Italian company, Iran's average production stood at about 3.52 million barrels per day (bpd), which was 6.4 percent more than that of the corresponding period last year. Iran raised its production by 130,000 bpd in April.

According to the Italian Oil Consortium, Saudi Arabia remained Opec’s largest oil producer during the first quarter of the year, posting an average 7.57 million bpd.

Opec on a whole produced an average of about 26.62 million bpd in the first quarter of the year, which is 4.2 percent lower than in the same period last year. – (Albawaba-MEBG)